Obv: Bee with straight wings with letter E F (in Greek). Rev: Forefront of Stag looking back with magistrates name. Metal: Silver 15.25 grams, 25 mm diameter. Condition: Good VF but lightly struck on one side.

Founded by Ionian colonist under Androklos. Ephesos maintained good relationship with Lydia and prospered primarily because of pilgrims to its temple of Artemis one of the 7 wonders of the world dating from the time of Croesus of Lydia. It appears that to maintain this relationship the city of Ephesos was moved from its fortified position in Croesus to the area of the great temple. After the defeat of Athens by Sparta, the Ephesos Bee coins started supplanting the Athenian Owl as the standard world coinage. Ephesos was in alliance with Sparta, and since Sprata (a military state) did not participant in commerce or the mintage of coins, Ephesos quickly filled-in the gap left by Athens. After the conquest by Alexander the Great, the general Lysimachos reestablished the city at the more favorable position near Mt. Koressos and ordered people from throughout the area to move to his new city and in a very short time Ephesos became the most populated city in Anatolia. The city subsequently fell to the Seleucids. In 190 BC it fell under the Pergamon Kings and in 133 BC the Romans. In 150 AD "Aristeides" wrote that Ephesos was the most prosperous commercial center of the time and controlled the commerce of all Alatolia. The city continued to prosper thoughout the Christian era.